Warrior's Creed 2
by CharmedPluto
Summary: NEW Style! Iceclaw recounts about the conspiracy that made him a legend among Assassins everywhere.
1. Chapter 1

**Warrior's Ceed 2 Chapter 1**

How'd my life suddenly get so messed up? One minute I'm the Mentor, the next I'm the hunted. Continuing to sprint for my life, I slipped though the bramble barrier the covers our entrance to the camp. I had two cats behind me and they were hell bent on taking me down. Their speed, however, was dwarfed by my own. I dodged expertly around the obstacles in my own territory until I crossed the border into WindClan territory and the voices behind me faded into nothing.

"What...the hell." I cursed, catching my breath. I started towards the contact we had in WindClan, maybe he'd give me shelter for the night and time to figure out what in the Nine Hells was going on. If Bristlefang had been here maybe I wouldn't have had to run from my own clan.

You look lost, young one. Do you not recognize a famous one when he presents himself? No? You wonder who I am, and why I'm speaking to you? Okay, but you may wish to get comfortable, for this is quite the tale.

I'm Iceclaw. I'm a warrior. I'm also one of the Great Assassins; meaning when I hunt my prey isn't always mice. Yes, I hunt other cats too. You think me a murderer? Young one, somethings must be done in order for there to be peace. My reasons in their true nature would be complicated to understand. I'll put it this way; the way that books and tales the elders tell of how the clans are 100% seperated isn't entirely true. Your clan's borders don't exactly prevent travelers from crossing them. At any given time, there are at least fifty to one hundred cats in any clan, most of them loners and travelers. When all is said and done, usually the only cats that remain at the end of the day are their active members, the warriors and such. If you've ever been into human...er...Twoleg territory and really gotten to learn how their society functions you'd see we aren't so different. Your ancestors, StarClan, they have enemies everywhere, and I, with my brothers and sisters, are the ones who keep them at bay for peace sake.

That's right, the kit tales of how LeopardClan conquered the river, and how TigerClan got their stripes are just what they are: fables. In comparison to how some of the things became how they are, those are nothing.

A crazy old elder, am I? Did you ever wonder how Bramblestar became leader? Or how Jayfeather became the stuff of legend? You speak with the right cat to tell you. You don't believe me? You should, for I was there.

The conspiracy I told you of is a rather important piece of information. The year before I had found out my leader was siding with Dark Forest. In exchange for handing over the order, he was to be made immortal. The fool. Immortality is something that cannot be given to the living. I had no choice but to repremand Dawnpelt and bring him to justice. Brokenstar, however, struck Dawnpelt down. I fought some of his most fierce warriors afterwords.

Did I win? Of course I won, little one, for had I lost I would be dead right now. I was but a puppet for the longest time. When that had passed, I sent out my followers to right what we'd done over the last year or so.

Yes, I still would've punished Dawnpelt if he had lived; he decieved all of us and in order to try and rid himself of the evidence he tried to have us all killed by either our targets or with our own blood. A low blow, a cheap shot, something I'd rather not get on the subject of.

To this day young apprentice the forces of Dark Forest remain. I've grown old but that doesn't mean I do not help the others when I am given the chance,

I was a great fighter, as of now I coud still probably beat out some of the others in direct combat.

I...do you wish to hear the rest of the story or not? Alright then.

I'd just escaped the patrol that chased me out of our southern border...yes into WindClan territory, you know your borders already. I had to lay low and wait until nightfall because the last patrol was the dusk patrol and it was around early sunhigh. At dusk however I happened to come across the WindClan patrol I'd mentioned earlier, their pelts were a mix of blacks and dark browns, fairly well suited for their native territory in the open plains. At the time my crimson stripes would have stood out like a white hare of FrostClan in the setting sun and it was no questin they'd seen me. I did what I had to at the time.

No, actually I didn't kill them. In spite of being sent into exile, the tenets of the Creed still held fast. I was to stay my claws from innocent blood, they are only doing their jobs.

Instead, I ran for the border of ThunderClan where I knew a friend that could shelter me for the night. I never did meet with Wildmask as I'd planned to, in fact I don't think he knew what had happened until I returned to ThundeClan with my second apprentice for her first Assassination Contract. Even though I did have a friend amoung his ranks, Firestar hated me.

Are you kidding me? Of course he did! I can recall twice he said I was to be killed on sight if I was in ThunderClan territory. He didn't harbor hatred for very many cats but I could name three cats that he dispised with a passion equal to the fires within the gates of the Nine Hells. He hated Tigerstar, he hated Clawface and he most of all hated Brokenstar. The reasons? Well, Clawface killed his first love Spottedleaf. He harbored that until the day the ShadowClan warrior fell under Bristlefang's claws. Sickness? HA! ShadowClan was the harbinger of pestilence at the time but that didn't mean we ceased all operations. On to the other two I suppose, Tigerstar tried to have him killed during his plot to seize power from the then losing her mind Bluestar, plus he threatened to kill him after said raid failed. He hated Brokenstar on the simple fact that he attempted to help Tigerstar. I believe he was satisfied when one of ours stole his life. Yes, Yellowfang was one of us. The I believe fifth or sixth generation contact in ThunderClan.

Anyhow, I ran into problems in ThunderClan...literally. I'd been creeping around in the undergrowth, my scent disguised and someone of rather grave importance ended up blundering over me like a blind kit. I'll give him one thing, sure he was blind but he had a unique way of seeing.

"Oh geez..." I whispered.

The gray tom stood licking the dust from his shoulder and shaking his pelt clean, then his blind blue eyes swept over me. Yes, he was blind. For you know this cat as Jayfeather.

"I don't believe it..." he grunted after identifying me, "Every time there's trouble, I run into you."

"Good to see you too Jay."

He gritted his teeth and growled, "How many times must I say it, don't fucking call me that!"

What? You thought this was a conservitive kit's tale? No. If you come to hear my words I don't skip out on details. Language is something that doesn't get cut out of the real world.

I smiled at him after that petty little curse, "You really ought to lighten up about things of that nature, after all I took you for a genius medicine cat, not a mindless warrior."

He simply grunted dismissing the beginning of our conversation, "What are you doing here Iceclaw?"

I quickly explained to him that I was run out of my clan.

"Well that doesn't surprise me," he said sitting down, "If my leader murdered a whole bunch of cats I'd run him out too."

I half shut my eyes, "Didn't I tell you Cinderheart and Lionblaze why I kill?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, peace in all things right? Nothing is true and everything is fucking premitted. Such _great_ reasoning to take another's life."

"Divines damn your ignorance sometimes Jayfeather. Anyways I've come also seeking out what the enemy are searching for."

You and Jay asked the same thing you know? I told him that day what I tell you now. They searched for what our order now has buried away.

The Apple of Eden.

It's an ancient artifact created from Those Who Came Before. A relic so powerful it is legened to grant the desires of any who should come to possess it. My great grandfather, Windwhisker, possessed it. His housefold, a human by the name of Altiar Ibn-Lahad had it also. He was the one who allowed all of the human civilizations great advancements, but that is besides the point. The Apple however does have a price, and it is different for everyone who possess it. For Altair it was position, he had to earn his position as Mentor a thrid time. For Windwhisker it was his sanity. The great leader was driven mad by visions of apacolypses and of destrecution that he threw himself from the top of the Tribe Mountain in the east.

I'm not sure what my price is yet. It shall become clear though, once I have long passed away.

"An apple?" Jayfeather reiterated.

All I did was nod, at the time I had no idea what it was or what it could be used for.

"Obviously they would lose themselves in a search that can be completed by simply climbing an apple tree and scratching one straight to the ground. A hopeless kit could see that,"

"Then you've heard of it?"

"I have not."

"Would Leafpool have heard of it?"

Jayfeather paused and after a moment he replied, "We could ask her, but no garauntees."

His body language at the time spoke volumes, for a cat who could read emotions he wasn't good at hiding them. I could tell he was suspicious of me, for it was as if I'd stumbled onto something.

"Are you hiding something?" I asked.

And tersely he replied, "No."

That sealed his fate, "You are hiding something aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Jay..."

"I'm not!"

I started tapping my front paw, "Jay, you know how I am with secrets."

"Would you stop calling me Jay! It's Jay_feather_!"

"Okay, I'll stop callig you Jay as soon as you come clean with the truth."

I knew how to push a cat's buttons and the likes, in fact sometimes I still do just to mess with them.

"Okay but promise you won't tell anyone?"

"You have my word as an Assassin."

So we went towards the lake, a short little hike for the both of us, and it yeilded what would be one of the seven Pieces of Eden. From out of a bush, Jayfeather pulled out a stick that was covered in scratches. I examined it then looking unconvinced that this beat up piece of drift wood could be it. It was when I set my paws upon it that my opinion quickly changed.

It seems I hear your mentor calling for you. You had best run along. Don't worry yourself about the den, I may be old but I'm far from lazy, I shall explain to Bristlefang my reasoning.

The story? Oh yes, perhaps we can reconviene after dinner tonight.

**A/N: I'm trying out a new style for this fic, reviews appreciated. And from now on, I'll be doing direct posting via the copy paste feature from my Xbox seeing as how my computer got stupid and won't work for some reason. Sorry for the wait!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warrior's Creed 2 Chapter 2**

So you wish to hear the rest of this story? You might wish to brace yourself, for what happened after I laid my paw upon that stick was...well...I'd call it incredible and disturbing at the same time.

There was this flash of white and I felt my body hit the soft dirt. The next thing I saw was the blurry images of a cat in dark blue cloth fighting off what may as well have been armies and winning with not trouble. It went so fast that I thought I was seeing the future when really it was something else entirely. A voice then gripped my ears and jolted me.

This scene of darkness shifted and I was standing in a corner in the leader's den. At the center of the den was a pale ginger furred she-cat who was graying at the muzzle. Across from her was a brown tom, his fur looked puffed up permenantly but he merely sat there.

"Come in, Windwhisker, I have a new mission for you." the she-cat said.

The brown tom approached, "What news, master?"

"You have progressed well, so your missions will be getting more and more difficult from here and on."

"Give me names and I'll give you blood."

"Scarpelt in DragonClan, the loner Jarrus, and Pantherfang in PantherClan."

"What can you tell me about them?"

The she-cat gave a smile of some kind, "Patience Windwhisker, see to it that they are destroyed."

"Yes master,"

Windwhisker turned to leave the den but the she-cat stopped him.

"What happened between you and that loner the other day?"

"I've told you," Windwhisker said, "He attacked me and was bent on taking my life, I defended myelf."

"According to Gentlefur, you were seen splaying his blood on the rocks and writing strange symbols on the cliff face."

"With respect, Angelleaf, I have no clue what you are talking about."

Angelleaf didn't look at all convinced, "You're my top Assassin, Windwhisker, I surely hope for your sake you have not lied to me."

"I would never do such a thing master."

"I shall take you on your word, see to it those three fall."

Windwhisker turned and left and the scene disolved like melting snow.

I never really figured out if the fabled symbols existed or not. I'd been to that cliff face too but I never saw black markings as they are described to be.

When I awoke, I was looking at Jayfeather.

"I don't know if the Apple of Eden is supposed to give you visions or not but I certainly had one a moment ago." I told him.

"You dreamed of the ancients. I thought only I could do that?"

I nudged the stick a bit, "Does anyone else know about this thing?"

He shook his head.

"Then I'd better go and see Leafpool, maybe she'll be able to tell me more."

Jayfeather then cut me off as I started to go towards ThunderClan's camp, "You won't tell her about this will you?"

"Tell her about what?" I replied.

"The stick,"

"What stick? I don't know what you're talking about Jayfeather."

I think it was about then that he caught on and stored the stick back where it needed to be. We then went back to camp, crossing back into the undergrowth of their territory. I had my concerns at this point, for now I was conflicted with what the Assassins had said about Windwhisker and what I had just seen. According to the others, Windwhisker was the stuff of legend; battling entire armies and not faultering, able to perform triple and quadruple assassinations without being detected.

Is it true? Yes. Though the quadruple Assassination he's only done twice. I would be shown that later via the Apple.

When we came inside the camp I was immediately met with a chorus of hisses and shreiks. One stood out in its voice. A familiar deep tone that was similar to Tigerstar when I faced him and defeated him that previous year. You would call him Bramblestar, I called him Brambleclaw. Disrespectful? Hardly, for his predecessor, Firestar, was still alive.

"What is _he_ doing here?" he spat.

The sight of Jayfeather escorting a not so strange face into ThunderClan's camp must've been tantamount to treason. Brambleclaw along with Squirrelflight, his mate, and a few other cats whose name illude me now were surrounding us. I could've cut the tension in the air with my claws, for I sensed every cat on edge there. Firestar exited his den with his mate Sandstorm following.

"Well Jayfeather, do you care to explain why you've brought a murderous rouge into my ranks?" Firestar asked.

Yes, he did help me retake AssassinClan when Dawnpelt stole the Assassins' minds, but that didn't mean he liked me or thought me an ally, in fact, I believe that once I leave the world of the living he and I won't exactly be friends. Also I had conveyed with Thunderstar, ThunderClan's founding memeber, before I returned here to face Dawnpelt so...

To him I said, "Relax Firestar, I'm only passing through."

"Was the question directed at you or the gray medicine cat next to you?"

I fell silent, there wasn't much I could say without being a detriment to Jayfeather. I sat down and let him do the talking.

"He's here looking for something," Jayfeather said digging his claws into the dirt.

Firestar didn't look at all convinced, "Something? Or some_one_?"

"I told you, Firestar, my hostilities weren't intentional. I was merely doing my duty to my creed as any of you would've done for your warrior code."

"So what is your reason for being here? Have you come to kill me under the lie that you so happily just spat in my face?"

"You've become paranoid in your old age Firestar, I'm not here to kill you. If I were you'd never have seen me. I'm here to investigate something. May I speak with Leafpool?"

Firestar shot me a look then to Brambleclaw he said, "Don't let him out of your sight."

Jayfeather led us to the medicine cat den. When Leafpool and I met at that point she tried to pounce me but I simply evaded it. I think if Brambleclaw hadn't been there she'd have tried a lot harder to kill me.

I know, I had no true friends in ThunderClan besides Jayfeather and Mountainshine, our ThunderClan contact.

"So that's what all the commotion in the clearing was about." Leafpool said calming down a bit, "What the hell does he want?"

Brambleclaw grunted, "You know about as much as I do,"

I didn't bother with introductions, and cut straight to the chase, "Do you know anything about the Apple of Eden?"

Brambleclaw was confused at what I had said and gave the dumbest answer ever, "The Apple of who?"

Leafpool rolled her eyes, "That stupid thing?"

"So you do know about it?"

"Of course I do. An artifact with that much power isn't a mystery to my ears. I did study my brains out while I trained with Cinderpelt remember?"

"Pardon the warrior in me," Brambleclaw cut in, "but what in StarClan are you talking about?"

Leafpool faced him, "I'm really not supposed to tell you about it since it's kind of a medicine cat lore thing."

Brambleclaw nodded and said nothing more.

"Tell me about it." I said sitting down.

"Why would you want to know about it? What would a liar and a theif of life like you want with it?"

I feigned a hiss of pain, "Tsk tsk tsk, your words sting like the edge of a blade, Leafpool, but as you are probably aware Dark Forest are the murderous theives of life that you're referring to me as."

"Well, mom, does it exist or not?" Jayfeather said.

Yes, even though it took him the longest of his littermates, at roughly a year and a half, to accept it, Jayfeather had indeed accepted who his parents were. Crowfeather the brave and loyal, probably where he got his what some call tendencies from and Leafpool the wise and cunning where he could easily be seen getting his knowledge and his skills with herblore.

"Cinderpelt told it as though it were a kit's tale. In a short version, these cat came together and created an artifact intended for what your order claims to stand for, Iceclaw."

"Peace in all things." I quoted from Windwhisker.

"Exactly. Though it didn't talk long for someone down the line to betray. This cat stole the Apple and escaped into the night. No cat has seen or heard of it since."

"And now Dark Forest searches high and low for it."

"Then I'd tell you to let them waste their time, they will not find something that doesn't exist."

"It truely doesn't exist?"

Leafpool shook her head, "Our knowledge as medicine cats comes from StarClan."

"My medicine cat Sootpelt would disagree." I said.

There was quiet for a moment before Brambleclaw finally piped up, "I think it's time you left our clan Assassin."

"Very well, but before I do, I have one last thing to ask you."

Leafpool had turned to got into the herb storage for something, "And what is that?"

"What would happen if it did exist?" I asked, Jayfeather looked at me with a mix of anger and plea in his eyes, like he was becoming angry due to my hinting at his stick, which now that I think of it, looked remarkably similar to the one I used last year to return the minds of the Assassins.

"Should Dark Forest get a hold of it, I'd fear what they would do."

"And say StarClan's followers possessed it."

"I'm really not sure. It would probably be something that would be kept at the Moonpool and reserved for medicine cats only. I'd also fear what would happen should one of our leaders aquire it."

"I know Firestar wouldn't do wrong with it." Brambleclaw commented.

"You say that because of loyalty." I told him, "When power comes into a cat's paws they can become unpredictable."

"Are you saying Firestar is evil!"

I shook my head, "Not in the slightest sense, noble Brambleclaw, your leader is a fine ally to have...even if he is as prickly as a hedgehog."

The ThunderClan deputy looked ready to protest the contrary but his mouth remained sealed and he spoke nothing more on the subject.

"Alright then, I'd best be off. I'd like to request an escort to the border of WindClan." I told him.

"Very well, I shall organize..."

I cut him off, "No, just Jayfeather will do. I see your herb stock is low, perhaps he can fetch the herbs you need on his way back."

Leafpool and Brambleclaw exchanged a look then simply nodded. After waiting for a few minutes for Jayfeather, the two of us left the camp. The sun was now starting to set in the west dying the sky flame orange. Jayfeather looked troubled now.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing." he said, I could hear his tempor, I think all he wanted to do right now was knock someone out cold.

"You sure about that?"

He growled, "I'm perfectly fine, Iceclaw, there's nothing wrong."

We walked in silence for a little bit longer before I proded at him again, "You think it exists don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You think the Apple of Eden, despite what your mentor says, exists and it's out there waiting for the right cat to find it."

"Yeah? So fucking what?"

"So, if the wrong cat finds it, we're dead aren't we?"

Jayfeather stopped, then he sighed, "Yeah, you're right Iceclaw."

I faced him though I knew he couldn't see, what I was about to do would be either my best decsion or the worst. The Hell of it was, at the time I doubted I'd live long enough to find out.

"Do you want ot find it?"

"You're crazy, Leafpool said it doesn't exist."

"She also denied the existence of cats with fighting skill as high as my own, yet here I am. Now would you like to see her proven wrong for once? You'd be given a chance to really stick it to Dark Forest if you, Jayfeather, went on a journey with my Assassins and I and came back with the very artifact that all others denied existing."

He contemplated it. I could tell because he didn't move nor say a word until we got the WindClan border over fifteen minutes later.

"Fine, but only if it can grant me something I want."

"If it's as powerful as the legends claim you will be given it."

"I want my sight."

I was about to say something but figured it better not to and wished Jayfeather farewell before I left. I spent the night under the stars, close to my warrior ancestors that at the time I hardly believed in.

It's late now, you should get some sleep young one. Sleep here? Obsurd! I couldn't allow that. Besides between you and I, Bristlefang snores at night I'd swear as loud as a growling wolf. I'm not sure Tangleshine would like that either. You'd best return to the Apprentice room, perhaps if you aren't busy tomorrow you can come back and hear the rest.


End file.
